1863 (Jul 11) cover to Scotland with attractive franking of Perf 13 at Dunedin 1d orange-vermilion & 2d pale blue single & strip of 3 (probably SG #68 & 73), '016' cancels & fine double-circle 'GOLD FIELD/A/JY-11/63/OTAGO.N.Z.' backstamp used at Waitahuna, 'N.Z./DUNEDIN/OTAGO/JY14/6[3]' transit & '1 Y/EDINBURGH/SP14/63' arrival backstamp, some very minor soiling. Carried per "Bombay", departed Sydney 22/7/1863: mail arrived Marseilles 12/9/1863 & Southampton mail arrived 17/9/1863. Waitahuna PO 15/10/1861; renamed Waitahuna Gully 1/12/1876. Ex Benvie (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,400

1867 (May 6) flapless mourning cover to London - unusually with a pre-printed address - with 6d red-brown P12½, tied by poor barred cancel of 'PICTON' (fine backstamp), superb London arrival cds of 27JU67 in red on the face. Carried per Mataura, departed Wellington 8/5/1867, arrived Panama 4/6/1867; mails arrived in the UK 26/6/1867. Ex Benvie. (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

1868 (Aug 10) cover with P12½ 6d red-brown (trimmed at right on opening) tied by poor cancel of 'OAMARU/OTAGO NZ' (b/s), 'NY STEAMSHIP/10' postage due handstamp & capsule 'U.S. 10cts' handstamp, 'MOHAWK/OC23/68/CW' arrival backstamp, repaired tear at lower-right. Carried per Mataura, departed Wellington 9/9/1868, arrived Panama 8/10/1868; mail arrived St Thomas 15/10/1868. [On 1/6/1867, the rate was halved to 6d per ½oz.]
The 'U.S. 10cts' handstamp was applied at the Buffalo (NY) exchange office. This is one of only two New Zealand covers recorded with this handstamp. [Mohawk PO 6/4/1836; renamed Mount Pleasant in 1922.] Ex Ellot & Benvie. (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

1869 (Feb 20) cover to Yorkshire with 3d deep mauve P12½ (SG #118) tied by 'C'-in-Bars cancel and Christchurch cds alongside, endorsed "Detained for postage" in red, a second example of the 3d affixed & similarly cancelled with a second Christchurch cds of MR13/69, largely very fine strike of the scarce British 'S.W./YORK/MY23/69' railway TPO backstamp (Harold Wilson #629a) used on the seasonal Scarborough & Whitby Sorting Carriage: see Wilson at page 163. Another very attractive cover. Carried per "Avoca", departed Melbourne 30/3/1869, mail arrived Southampton 22/5/1869. [The Panama New Zealand & Australian Royal Mail Co failed in late-1868. Until the via San Francisco route was established in March 1870, via Suez was again the primary route for mails from New Zealand.] Ex Antipodes & Benvie. Holcombe Opinion (1988) states the stamps are SG 117. (Image1)

Estimate AU$900

1871 (Sep 14) cover with 1d vermilion, 2d pale blue Plate I & 6d red-brown with manuscript cancels "DB/14\/9\/71" for Duvauchelle's Bay (Rated 10 by Wooders) & overstruck with bold '18' cancels of Rangiora, fine 'LYTTELTON' & 'CHRISTCHURCH' transit backstamp, London transit cds of 27NO71 & 'PD'-in-circle both in red & French 'ANGL/AMB CALAIS A' cds all on the face & part-'PARIS A BREST' TPO backstamp, repaired flap faults. Carried per Nebraska, departed Auckland 7/10/1871, arrived San Francisco 5/11/1871; mail arrived Plymouth 26/11/1871. [Duvauchelle's Bay was a tiny French settlement near Akaroa. The PO opened 1/1/1861; renamed Duvauchelle 1/12/1879.] Ex Woolfe & Benvie. (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,600

1873 (Feb 6) cover endorsed "OPSO" at top and "Canterbury Museum/6 2 73" at lower-left to Frankfurt, franked with New Colours 2d vermilion & 6d blue tied by Christchurch duplex of FE10 (?) and held for additional postage, the 4d yellow at left - affixed over a pencilled endorsement - being tied by a different 'C'-in-bars obliterator, London transit cds of 14AP73 & 'PD'-in-circle handstamp both in red on the face, endorsed "3" for the postage to be credited to the UK, very fine 'FRANKFURT a M No 6' arrival backstamp, minor flap repair. A very pretty cover. Illustrated by Gerald Ellott (2009) at page 121. Carried per "Ellora", departed 23/2/1872; mail arrived Brindisi per "Simla" 10/4/1873, mail arrived Southampton 21/4/1873. [Chalon covers to Germany other than via Suez & Southampton or Marseilles are rare.] Peter Holcombe Opinion (1988; states the 2d & 4d have been lifted & replaced) & RPSL certificate (2006). Ex Antipodes, Woolfe, Hackmey (acquired for $US2820) & Benvie. (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,500

1874 (Jun 4) cover to Ireland with 2d orange P12½ strip of 3 tied by 'GISBORNE' cds, 'NAPIER' transit backstamp & superb 'MONKSTOWN/JY28/74' arrival backstamp, ironed-out creases, repaired tear on the face at right & part-flap missing. Carried per City of Adelaide, departed Auckland 8/6/1874; arrived San Francisco 8/7/1874; mail arrived Queenstown 27/7/1874. [The Gisborne cds is very scarce in the pre-1880 period.] Ex Benvie. (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

1875 (Mar 13) Turnbull & Co entire with 1/- green First Sideface (a couple of perf faults) tied by 'NZ/WELLINGTON - [W]' duplex, Dunedin & fine 'ADEN STEAMER POINT/AP28' transit & 'MAURITIUS/MY9/75' arrival backstamp. Carried per Ceylon, departed Melbourne 25/3/1875, arrived Galle 15/4/1875, trans-shipped to Aden & Mauritius. Ex Benvie. (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1875 (Apr 9) Turnbull & Co entire with 6d blue First Sideface pair tied by 'D/ZN/WELLINGTON/AP9/75 - W' duplex (sic reads 'ZN' instead of NZ!), Dunedin & 'ADEN STEAMER POINT' transit (indecipherable date) & 'MAURITIUS/JU6/75' arrival backstamp, rather dessicated & with internal splitting/reinforcing. Carried per China, departed Melbourne 20/4/1875, arrived Galle 11/5/1875, trans-shipped to Aden & Mauritius. Ex Benvie. (Image1)

Estimate AU$400